


A Confusing Series of Events

by ForensicSpider98



Series: Love After the Fact [36]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, All this stress is bad for the baby, Altean Adam (Voltron), Altean Prince Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Aromantic Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Balmeran Hunk (Voltron), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Galra Shiro (Voltron), Galran Prince Keith (Voltron), Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, M/M, Moral Ambiguity, Moral Dilemmas, Multi, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Olkari Pidge | Katie Holt, Post-War, it's keith. keith is the baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:33:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24103687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForensicSpider98/pseuds/ForensicSpider98
Summary: Shiro gets turned down, but also gets to witness a drunk, honest Alfor.This is low-key a 'Shiro's wounded feelings' sandwich. Eat up <3<3<3
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Alfor/Coran (Voltron), Allura/Lotor/Romelle (Voltron), Haggar/Zarkon (Voltron), Hunk & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Love After the Fact [36]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1635043
Comments: 32
Kudos: 186





	A Confusing Series of Events

Adam frowns, noticing King Alfor’s change of demeanor when he returns to the ball, elects to investigate. He slips into the hallway, not concerning himself with finding Lance. He’s with his friends, laughing as Keith sasses Lady Renli around a cup of nunvil. A chorus of howls ring out. The frown turns into an eye roll.

Keith is not behaving at all as Adam instructed. Though, he thinks, it doesn’t seem to be causing any harm. And Lance seems to be enjoying it. He’ll have to reconsider his designs for the boy. As impressive as it would be to see him transform from a shy little kit into a strong, confident adult, he’s clearly grown tired of Adam’s game. A change will need to be made.

Ingrates.

He turns a corner, satisfied that he won’t be missed in the immediate.

“Adam.” The Altean turns back to see Shiro running up to him. “Hey. Where are you going?”

A moment’s hesitation. He shouldn’t say anything, but Lance left him at the captain’s disposal. “I am going to follow the residual quintessence left behind by King Alfor to see where he disappeared to only dobashes ago.”

“Oh, okay. That’s… whatever.” Not even worth questioning. Shiro takes a breath. “I need a favor. Got a tick?”

“If it really is a tick.” Adam pulls them into an alcove, past a quartet of guards with pikes to ward off the courtiers. “What can I do for you?”

“I need to kiss you.” Last time, on Daibazaal, Shiro did things the Altean way, circling the issue and never actually reaching it. This time, on Altea, he’s doing it the Galran way, forward, direct, with no room for miscommunication. It seems a reasonable trade.

“You _need_ to?” Adam lifts an eyebrow. “Explain yourself.”

“I made a bet with Keith that I would kiss you and tell you that I have feelings for you or I would eat a plate of Altean food. He made the same bet, but with Lance.”

“Well I should hope with Lance.” Adam’s face is inscrutable. Passive. “Is this you asking permission?”

“Yes. I have feelings for you. May I kiss you?” Shiro’s hearts flutter with nervous excitement. He’s about to kiss-

“No, you may not.” Adam clasps his hands behind his back, casual posture shifting into something distinctly professional. Shiro clamps his mouth shut. “This isn’t at all about your feelings, and it certainly isn’t about me. This is about some silly bet you made with your littermate.”

“Wait, I-” Shiro lifts his hands, attempts to placate.

“I have many things I’m supposed to be doing right now, Captain, and you're not one of them, so please excuse me. Enjoy your meal.” The slender Altean hurries off, leaving an unsettling chill in his wake.

Shiro watches him go, eyes wide in surprise. He returns to the throng, pausing to threaten the guards. “One word, and you’ll do an extra workout with Prince Yorak every day for the next phoeb.”

One of the guards salutes. Shiro nods his approval, goes to find his littermate. He’s messing around with a growing group of courtiers. Keith is a talkative drunk. It’s something to note for later. As he watches, Keith slips an arm around Lance's waist, rests the other over the Altean prince's heart as he talks to a girl with pink hair and golden scales. Lance's smile widens. He tugs playfully on the end of Keith's braid. Their crowd laughs at some joke, and Keith tries to hide his face in Lance's chest.

Shiro sighs, ears drooping. He’s lonely, truth be told. More lonely than he cares to admit. Keith is his only family, and he’s missed his littermate more than he’d anticipated. Seeing him relatively happy with Lance is wonderful, but it stings just a little underneath.

He'll just have to try again. It only took three centaphoebs to find one person he likes. How long could it take him to find another?

In the meantime, he joins Alfor, Allura, and Lotor standing by one of the food tables, chatting.

“We’re thinking Tehlan. It’s a nice, gentle name. A good one for an era of peace. And gender-neutral,” Allura sings. 

“That’s a lovely name,” Alfor murmurs, sipping what is likely not his first drink. Altean drinks move fast, Shiro realizes, observing the pink flush creeping over the king’s cheeks. “I’m happy for you both.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Allura hugs her father. The king kisses the top of her head, smiling. It’s the first smile Shiro’s seen from him. “So… How are you getting on with Keith?”

“Hm.” Alfor’s brows furrow. “He’s… endearing. He seems mostly harmless.”

“So, you like him?” Allura presses.

“I am… not opposed to him.” Alfor scoffs, gesturing to where Keith is laughing with Lance and a cluster of Alteans. “Look at him! He’s adorable! Wretched little brat! I hate him!”

Shiro covers his mouth to stifle a laugh.

“Hm. How’s he doing?” Lotor smiles, holding Allura close. There’s a matching flush on his cheeks, glowing under orange and green scales. Shiro rolls his eyes. Are he, Allura, Lance, and Adam the only ones not drinking? Probably. Luck of the draw. _Somebody_ needs to do their damn job around here.

“Fine, I guess. He hasn’t tried to murder us yet, so that’s something. I really need to get him a medical check, make sure the place is agreeing with him, but…”

“But what?” Lotor cocks his head, tucking a strand of hair behind a pointed ear.

“But look at him!” Alfor gestures at Keith. He’s currently snuggled into Lance’s side, giggling incessantly. Lance slips yet another cup of liquor out of his hand. Where does he keep getting them from? “What am I supposed to do with that?!”

“Strip him down to his bits and shove him in a pod?” Allura suggests. “Like everyone does for check-ups?”

“Yes, but he’s a _baby_ ,” Alfor whines, stomping his foot like a petulant child. This is most conflicting day of Shiro’s life, watching an intoxicated king navigate a conversation. “He _squeaks_ ! And he’s so _little_. Lance is taller than him for quiznak’s sake! What do you expect me to do?!”

“Grow a pair?” Allura suggests, taking full advantage of her sobriety.

“He's a fragile little baby! I could crush his tiny kitten body with my bare hands.”

“Oh, Dad.” Allura shakes her head, smiles. “I’m glad you like him. He’s a good boy. He’s good for Lance.”

“Hm. He’s not slutting up the place anymore, so that’s something.” Alfor grumbles. “You know I caught him and two others _in my throne_??? I think about it every time I sit in the damn thing!”

“This is the most important night of my life,” Lotor whispers, enchanted. “I can’t wait to mess with him.”

“As long as you don’t mess with him like those two were, I don’t care,” Alfor grumbles. Then the king sighs. “I hope he can keep my boy safe.”

“Keith?” Lotor guffaws. “He’ll have the Crown Prince’s balls in a vice by the end of spring, no doubt about it. He’ll settle into his role as bearer and start calling all the shots.”

“Hm. I’d pay to see that,” Allura murmurs. “I’d pay to see either of them follow directions, to be honest.”

“Oh, Ancients. I’ll die of old age before that happens. Coran will have to tell me about it in the next life. If it happens even then.” Alfor rolls his eyes, looking startlingly like his son when he does it.

“I wonder where he got that from,” Allura mutters, side-eyeing her father.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You so do.”

Lotor turns back to Shiro, grinning ear-to-ear. “We need to get his Majesty drunk more often if you ask me. I’ve never had so much fun.”

Shiro smiles at the prince. “Perhaps you should consider visiting more often, your Majesty. Allura would enjoy it, as well.”

“As would you, I think.” The imperial prince smiles, eyes slightly unfocused.

Shiro smiles, ducks his head. When the prince turns back around, he lets the smile drop. He wonders if that’s still true.

**Author's Note:**

> Next time on Love After the Fact: Does Adam have... feelings??? For... THINGS????


End file.
